Editor's Note Beth Chrismer, MSN, RN, CPHRM, former director of clinical excellence at CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Health System, shared insights into a tragic workplace violence incident that occurred in 2013 at a Texas ambulatory surgery center (ASC) at last year’s OR Manager Conference. Chrismer was risk manager at the time…

Read More

Editor's Note According to the 2023 Wage Report from consultancy Springboard Healthcare, cardiac catheterization laboratory (cath lab) technologist and nurse wages have begun to stabilize in 2023, 3 years after the pandemic, Cardiovascular Business September 19 reports. Permanent nurses saw a modest wage increase of 3.7%, while travel nurses experienced…

Read More

Editor's Note A recent observational study published in JAMA Network suggests the placement of defibrillation pads during cardiac arrest treatment could significantly impact survival rates, Cath Lab Digest September 23 reports. The study analyzed 255 cases of cardiac arrest where the two pads were placed either at the front and…

Read More

Editor's Note Tubal sterilization, often considered a permanent form of contraception, has a failure rate of 3% to 5%, leading to unplanned pregnancies in some cases, UC San Francisco reported August 27. Publishing in NEJM Evidence, university researchers report that contraceptive arm implants or intrauterine devices (IUDs) may be more reliable…

Read More

Editor's Note Research shows atrial fibrillation (Afib), a heart rhythm disorder, affects 10.5 million US adults—three times more than previously believed, HealthDay News reported September 12. The article focuses on a study from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.…

Read More

Editor's Note According to this report published by The Leapfrog Group this month, hospitals in the US have significantly improved hand hygiene compliance, with 74% meeting the Leapfrog Hand Hygiene Standard in 2023, up from 11% in 2020. Among other factors, the report attributes this improvement to increased use of…

Read More

Editor's Note Virtual reality is making training more immersive for nurses at SSM Health St Mary’s Hospital in Janesville, Wisconsin, according to a September 11 article in GazetteXtra. Although a first for St Mary’s, virtual reality has already been adopted by other SSM Health facilities, the outlet reports. Donning googles…

Read More

Editor's Note Often exceeding federal safety limits, OR noise contributes significantly to communication breakdowns, heightened cognitive load, and increased surgical errors, according to a review of literature published September 17 in Cureus. Identified noise sources include surgical instruments, alarms, and staff conversations, which can reach up to 120 decibels (dBA)—a…

Read More

Editor's Note Although data suggest transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) using the MitraClip device may offer similar outcomes to mitral valve surgery in patients with heart failure and functional mitral regurgitation (FMR), experts have criticized the research, TCT MD reported September 1. Presented at the recent European Society of Cardiology (ESC)…

Read More

Editor's Note Simple, non-judgmental interactions with therapy dogs could offer a valuable tool in combatting the widespread burnout seen across the healthcare industry. That’s according to a September 16 EurekAlert! news release detailing a study highlighting the emotional support benefits of therapy dogs for not only patients, but also the healthcare…

Read More